𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐢𝐞 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝

[73]

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.

"Are you sure you saw him?" Luz questioned Hunter, the boy gripping a rake tightly as Georgia clutched her staff.

"I thought the Collector–"

"Destroyed him?" Georgia finished. "Me too. But... it seems he's back..."

"Yeah," Hunter muttered. "I'm... I'm sure."

He gulped slightly, the rake in his hold clenched tighter as his hands shook nervously. He began to sweat, Luz raising an eyebrow at him as Georgia lowered her staff. She placed a hand on his shoulder, seeing him jump before his gaze met hers, the blonde boy relaxing instantly.

"Hey," Luz began in concern. "We can wait for the others if you–"

"No!" Hunter snapped, his voice cracking. "We have to take care of this ourselves. Titan, I hate this!"

Hunter sighed, looking aside as Georgia slowly pulled her hand away, listening as he ranted. At that moment the wind blew. Luz's finger was on her mouth in thought as she planned out ways to help.

"I was never scared as the Golden Guard!"

Luz's eyes widened as she spotted three paper masks on the ground, one resembling Hooty, the other looking like King's skull, crack and all, and the last of a silver mask that looked similar to the old golden guard mask.

She picked up the items from the ground, holding the Hooty-reminiscent one close to her face, the other two in her other hand.

"Then how about we bring back some that masked confidence, huh?" She grinned. "Bleh!"

Hunter smiled softly at the girl he saw as a sister, Georgia perking up as she spotted the silver mask before her.

"I call dibs on the silver one!"

Hunter chuckled at her, taking the silver-coloured paper mask and placing the string behind her head. Before he pulled the mask down, he pecked her nose, the girl blushing as the masked was pulled over her red-tinted cheeks.

She smiled in slight bliss as her boyfriend took the owl mask, the girl shaking her head as she re-centred her focus.

"Focus on finding Belos, get back to doing work... and maybe cuddles after. But work first!"

All she hoped was that her curse would remain at bay because hiding the fur sprouts was highly irritating. She was thankful for the time the patch of fur near the curse mark disappeared but was still annoyed at the fangs that were developing.

She and her father were going to have a long talk...

–––

Hunter kicked the Wittebane household door open, a rake in his hands as Luz held a bat. Georgia stood not far behind them, Talon in his staff form as she held a light orb in her hand.

"Alright, Belos," Hunter began. "What's about to happen should be relatively painless, if you just do what we say."

"That's right!" Luz glared. "So come out with your hands behind your creepy, dumb head!"

The three teens walked slowly into the house, cautious about their surroundings. The three froze as they spotted a shadow retreat from behind the doorway.